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Miami Vice
This article is about the TV series itself. For other uses, see Miami Vice (Disambiguation). Miami Vice is a television series produced by Michael Mann for the NBC network. The show became noted for its heavy integration of pop music and visual effects to tell a story. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade (now known as Miami-Dade) Vice detectives working undercover in Miami's drug and prostitution underworld. It ran for five seasons on NBC from September, 1984 through June, 1989. The USA Network subsequently broadcast one unaired episode in January, 1990. A movie adaptation was released in July, 2006, directed by Michael Mann and starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in the lead roles. Origins of Miami Vice The show was the brainchild of then-NBC program executive Brandon Tartikoff, who, according to legend, wrote a memo on a napkin simply stating "MTV Cops" (referencing the unprecedented success of the Music Television network). He presented the memo to Anthony Yerkovich, previously a writer and producer on another NBC police series, Hill Street Blues. Yerkovich says the idea grew when they learned of a recently passed law allowing law enforcement agencies to seize property and ill-gotten gains from the criminals they prosecuted and use it in departmental operations (this law is even referenced by name in the episode "Golden Triangle (Part II)"). Yerkovich created his script, initially called Gold Coast, about two Miami-based Vice cops working undercover to try and stem the influx of narcotics into the city. Later during the production the title was changed to Miami Vice, and the legendary series was born. Production Unusually for an American TV series, the show was shot on location in Miami, despite threats to move the production from the city later in the show's run due to the high costs it entailed. The realism this location shooting brought about, with an emphasis on the art deco design prevalent in the buildings of the city, helped the show stand out from contemporary police series. High production values also helped embellish this unique visual style, with cinematography that rivalled that of many movies, atypical of other 1980s television series. Each episode cost around $1.3 million to make, some 30% more than most other police series at the time. The series was one of the first to be broadcast in stereophonic sound, new to TV in the 1980s, which brought out the music and sound effects in a way rarely seen at the time. As Executive Producer, a title he would hold throughout the show's run, Michael Mann gave the production team one simple rule to adhere to - "No Earth Tones!" The distinctive visual appearance of the series, particularly in its early seasons, was one of pastel colors, both for the actors and the scenes in which they operated. The use of designer clothes and sports cars for both the undercover detectives and the criminals they pursued gave the appearance of high wealth for everyone. During production, much of the South Beach area in which the show was set was blighted by dilapidated buildings, homeless people and crime; in order to achieve the shots and scenes they needed, the production team would paint over graffiti and fix up decaying structures. This renovation led to something of a renaissance in the South Beach area as other buildings and hotels were restored, contributing to the revitalization of the area in the 1990s and the influx of celebrities and luxury hotels and clubs in the 2000s. Today, the area is a mecca for the rich and famous. In keeping with the subject matter implied by the show's title, the majority of episodes revolved around drug dealers and their distributors, prostitution rings, gun runners, counterfeiting, contraband electronics, and other similar crimes. Many episodes ended with spectacular gun battles, often resulting in the deaths of the primary antagonist(s) as well as many of their goons. The underlying theme of the series is the complete futility of the battle against drug cartels; often, the actual kingpin of the organisation would escape prosecution altogether, and even when the detectives did succeed in securing a lasting conviction, several new groups would be waiting to step into the void left by the departed criminals. Another constant issue the Vice cops had to deal with was the corruption present within the Metro-Dade police department and other governmental agencies (FBI/CIA/ATF/DEA) combating drugs in Florida, as drug dealers bribed low-level clerks and even high-ranking officials to help safeguard their positions of criminal power. Early episodes had many of the elements of a standard police procedural, such as the explicit planning of busts, but as the series progressed these aspects were largely abandoned to allow for greater focus on the show's use of cool dialogue, crisp images and unexpected endings. Casting Among the actors considered for the role of James "Sonny" Crockett were Gary Cole (who later appeared in the episode "Trust Fund Pirates"), Larry Wilcox (previously on CHiPs), and Nick Nolte (who declined due to a desire to focus on his movie career). After auditioning numerous actors, Mann and Yerkovich agreed on Don Johnson (despite protests from NBC executives, who were concerned by the fact that he had recently appeared in several failed pilots), with Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs. Gregory Sierra was brought in as the Vice Lieutenant Lou Rodriguez, although he was replaced after just four episodes with Edward James Olmos's Castillo due to Sierra's displeasure with working in Miami. Michael Talbott and John Diehl were cast as Stan Switek and Larry Zito, the squad's surveillance operatives who usually operated out of their "Bug Van", and initially served as comic relief to balance the often dark nature of the cases Crockett and Tubbs were involved with. Saundra Santiago and Olivia Brown completed the team as Gina Calabrese and Trudy Joplin respectively, female police officers who seemed to be used for little more than baiting egotistical male criminals early on, but later, as with Switek and Zito, became more serious characters integral to the show. Guest Stars Another noteworthy aspect of the show was it's enormous repertoire of guest stars, including famous actors and actresses of the time, as well as many who were virtually unknown when they were cast but have subsequently moved on to become some of the most recognisable names in Hollywood. Guest stars included Joaquim de Almeida, Xander Berkeley, Helena Bonham Carter, Brian Dennehy, Charles S. Dutton, Laurence Fishburne, Pam Grier, Brion James, Penelope Ann Miller, Viggo Mortensen, John Leguizamo, Michael Madsen, Ian McShane, Liam Neeson, Terry O'Quinn, Bill Paxton, Ron Perlman, C.C.H. Pounder, Ving Rhames, Julia Roberts, Chris Rock, Wesley Snipes, Dean Stockwell, Benecio del Toro, Stanley Tucci, John Turturro and Bruce Willis, to name but a few. Many musicians also appeared on the show, whether it be performing as themselves or in an acting capacity, including James Brown, Phil Collins, Miles Davis, Sheena Easton, Glenn Frey, Isaac Hayes, Willie Nelson, Ted Nugent and Frank Zappa, among others. Music :See also: Music Miami Vice ''was one of the first shows to incorporate popular music into the episodes at appropriate moments. The show was also complimented by background music specially composed by Jan Hammer (seasons 1-4) and Tim Truman (season 5), instead of using the stock or made-for-TV music common in programmes of the time. Universal reportedly paid out around $10,000 per episode for the rights to use pop songs by artists such as U2, Phil Collins, Depeche Mode, The Doors, Foreigner, Peter Gabriel, Billy Idol, Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner, and many others. MCA Records released three soundtrack albums from the series: [[Miami Vice (Album)|''Miami Vice]] in 1985 (which to this day is the last TV soundtrack to reach #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart), Miami Vice II, released in 1986, and Miami Vice III, released in 1988. These albums mostly consisted of popular songs featured in the series, but also included some of compositions done by Jan Hammer. Hammer has also released his own cues independently, first with his album Escape From Television in 1987 and again in 2002 with the much more comprehensive Miami Vice: The Complete Collection, featuring a comprehensive collection of his background music used in the series' first four seasons. The music used during the series' first two seasons often consisted of light, contemporary pop music, including songs featured in the charts at the time. Starting with season 3, the music varied between pop and gritter alternative/new wave/techno sounds, giving viewers a preview of the genre change in popular music to a more alternative sound in the early 1990s. There was also an increase in the amount of rock music used later in the series. So popular was the use of music in the show that during Vice's heyday weekly newspapers such as USA Today would publish song lists for each episode, artists would clamor to get a song to used on the show, and American viewers were treated to music from European groups that had never otherwise had a song played in the US. Frequently cited as the show's hallmark moment is the "In the Air Tonight" sequence from the show's pilot, "Brother's Keeper", when Crockett and Tubbs drive through the Miami night to a drug deal accompanied by the Phil Collins song. The heavy integration of pop music in the show led to a lengthy delay in releasing the show on DVD nearly 20 years later. Budget cuts in the fifth season reduced the number of pop songs featured to the least of any season. Fashion Miami Vice ''was responsible for major fashion changes in the mid-1980s, as the show popularized, or even invented the "T-Shirt under Armani" look. Don Johnson's attire of unconstructed blazer, pastel-colored T-shirt, white linen pants, and loafers without socks caught on around the country, along with Johnson's "designer stubble" (which even led to the marketing of a specialized razor called the "Miami Device" that would leave a very short layer of stubble on a man's face). Phillip Michael Thomas, meanwhile, would usually wear silk suits from designers Gianni Versace and Hugo Boss. After Six created "Miami Vice" dinner jackets, Kenneth Cole created Crockett and Tubbs shoes, and Macy's opened a dedicated "Miami Vice" section for young men. In Season 3, the pastels that epitomised the early episodes were largely replaced by darker greens and blues, which upset fans to the extent that the pastels were reintroduced for seasons 4 and 5, though by the middle of Season 5 Crockett could often be seen wearing jeans and denim instead of his linen pants. The fashion trends established in the show's five year run continued until the early 1990s. Cars/Boats Crockett's primary car in the first two seasons of the show was a black 1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder 365 GTS/4, actually portrayed by a kit car based on a 1980 Chevrolet Corvette. When Enzo Ferrari threatened a lawsuit regarding the use of Ferrari replicas, the fake Daytona was blown up in Season 3's "When Irish Eyes Are Crying" and replaced with a 1986 Testarossa (two were donated by Ferrari, initially black but repainted white before their introduction as Crockett's new car). Tubbs drove a 1964 Cadillac Coupe De Ville convertible, Switek (when not in the Dodge Ram surveillance van) drove a 1963 Ford Thunderbird convertible, and Gina drove a 1971 Ford LTD convertible. Besides the vehicles used by the main characters, many other lavish sports and muscle cars of the day appeared frequently on the show, including Aston Martins, Corvettes, DeLoreans, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Mercedes-Benzes, Mustangs, Plymouths, Pontiacs, Porsches and Rolls Royces, among others. Crockett lived on a yacht, the ''St. Vitus Dance, an Endeavour 42 sailboat (except in the pilot, when the boat was portrayed by an Endeavour 40) that rarely seemed to leave it's mooring at Miamarina, now known as Bayside Marketplace. When rapid transport over water was required, he used a modified SCARAB 38' KV speedboat for the majority of the series, after replacing the Stinger 390x he used in Season 1. Episodes :See also: Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, Season 4, Season 5 Seasons 1-2 The episodes in the first two seasons were often light-hearted and more humorous than in later seasons, with side characters such as Izzy Moreno and The Noogman providing comic relief (and street tips on the cases the main characters were involved in). Elvis, Crockett's pet alligator, provided his own "bite" into Crockett's boat life. The first few episodes covered Crockett's divorce from his wife Caroline, his son Billy, and a relationship with Gina. Tubbs was adjusting to life in Miami after being in New York, and the whole team had to deal with the death of Lou Rodriguez and the arrival of the exact-opposite Martin Castillo as the new Lieutenant. Crockett and Tubbs had to fight (and eventually take down) the Calderone drug empire, as well as dealing with inside corruption causing problems with cases. Crockett and Tubbs had to travel to New York to eliminate the Revilla drug cartel which had killed DEA agents in Miami (and nearly killed Gina), and deal with Calderone's son Orlando and daughter Angelina, with whom Tubbs had a tryst with that resulted in a son, which was taken away by Orlando but assumed killed in the explosion that took Angelina's life. Real-life situations such as the plight of Cuban exiles in Miami, the homeless, and the South American drug war were touched on but not hard-hitting as in later seasons. Scenes of mid-1980's party life in clubs and at the drug dealers' residences were a frequent sight in the first two seasons. The integration of pop music was very high in the second season, with over 90 songs used, including 14 in the second season opener, "The Prodigal Son". Seasons 3-4 (The Dick Wolf Years) Before the third season began, Don Johnson threatened to leave the series in a salary dispute that was resolved when Michael Mann threatened to replace Johnson with Mark Harmon, who had recently departed the medical drama St. Elsewhere. The delay nearly cost Vice an appearance by singer Willie Nelson. Dick Wolf took over as line producer (with Mann remaining as executive producer while overseeing his other TV project, Crime Story). As a result, the appearance and tone of the show drastically changed. Side characters such as Noogie Lamont and Crockett's pet alligator Elvis were gone or slowly phased out, and also gone were the pastels and laid-back stories in favor of darker colors and stories "ripped from the headlines"--based on then-recent events such as the Northern Ireland conflict, the Iran-Contra affair, illegal adoptions, AIDS, politicians having affairs, etc. John Diehl's character, Larry Zito, was killed off midway through the third season in a two-part episode. But what drove fans away from the series starting in the third season was a combination of the show being scheduled at 9:00 on Friday, competing directly with CBS' top show, Dallas, and the elimination of the pastels, which gave the series its' image and niche over other police dramas. The pastels came back in season 4, but by then the stories became too far-fetched to be believable (such as "The Big Thaw" and "Missing Hours") and the episodes began taking dark turns, resulting in more violent endings than in seasons past. In Season 4, Wolf moved to co-executive producer (along with Mann) but continued to contribute stories to the series. To improve the show's sagging ratings, Sheena Easton was brought in as Crockett's pop singer wife, Caitlin. The idea worked, but Easton's character was killed off in the season's pentimulate episode, "Deliver Us From Evil", and a cliffhanger was created as Crockett became his drug-dealer alter-ego, Sonny Burnett, after a head injury caused amnesia, and began working for ''the drug dealers he was trained to stop, shooting Tubbs in the process. Season 5 The final season saw the resolution to the cliffhanger, as Crockett's memory was restored and he brought down the very drug cartel he led, but the consequences of his actions would haunt him for the rest of the season, Wolf left the series to create his own police drama, ''Law & Order, leaving Mann as the only executive producer, but had little to do with the show even though his other series, Crime Story, ''was cancelled at the end of the 1988 season. Jan Hammer left the series and the background music changed to Tim Truman's more gritty sound compared to Hammer's smooth synth vibes, though Hammer's intro remained intact for the final season. The show's episodes began to "push the envelope" with rougher language, more violence, and things not normally presented on television in the 1980s (such as a homosexual relationship and child molestation). There were few episodes where the entire regular cast appeared, due to their seeking other opportunities due to the series' impending cancellation. Switek developed a gambling problem that would cause him pain throughout the season, and Crockett and Tubbs began to feel the hopelessness of their jobs, fighting increased corruption, political pressure, and government intervention, culminating in their quitting the force in the series finale, "Freefall". Series History and Cancellation The series' pilot episode aired in September, 1984, on a Sunday night. The show moved to Fridays at 10:00pm (known as the Friday Night Death Slot because most viewers are not home at that time), where it remained for the first two seasons. ''Miami Vice's ''ratings were fair during season 1 until the summer reruns, when people who may have been watching the show's competition caught the series for the first time, and the reruns consistently reached the Top 10. Season 2's ratings were the best of the series, ending at #9. Season 3 saw the series moved to the 9:00 time slot (where it remained until near the end of season 4), directly competing with CBS' mega-hit ''Dallas, and while both shows' ratings were affected, Miami Vice's were impacted worse, falling out of the Top 10. By Season 5, viewers were turning to cop shows such as 21 Jump Street ''and ''Wiseguy with'' a younger cast, and the higher production costs combined with low ratings resulted in NBC pulling the plug in 1989 with the "Freefall" series finale. But NBC had four episodes that had not aired, so the network moved the show to Wednesdays at 10:00 and aired three of the "lost episodes" in June, 1989, the fourth was declared inappropriate for broadcast and not aired on the network. The series' final NBC broadcast was on Wednesday, July 26, 1989. The show moved to syndication on USA Network in the fall of 1989 and they aired the final unaired episode, "Too Much, Too Late", in January of 1990. The series has appeared on the cable networks FX, TNN/Spike, TV Land, and Sleuth. Currently, the Centric Network is airing the series. Seasons 2-4 (except for "French Twist" and "Rising Sun Of Death") are available free (with commercials) on Hulu.com, all five seasons (except "French Twist") are available on Hulu Plus (with commercials, monthly fee $7.99), and the entire series is on DVD with all original music intact. Influence ''Miami Vice's influence on popular culture has been far-reaching and the show is considered by many to be one of the most influential television series ever made. Arguably it's most defining and innovative feature was it's frequent inclusion of music as an integral part of a scene, and this technique is now a common feature of modern TV dramas. However, the show's influence extends far beyond that of television. The heavy use of pastel clothes had a direct effect on the fashions of the time, and sales of Ray-Ban Wayfarers enjoyed a huge boost after their appearance as Sonny Crockett's sunglasses of choice on the show. Even sales of the Bren Ten pistol skyrocketed following it's prominent appearance in the first two seasons, so much so that Dornaus & Dixon were unable to meet the demand and eventually went bankrupt. In 2010 the Nike shoe company created an advert featuring NBA star LeBron James (who played for the Miami Heat) that parodied a number of pop culture ideas while he tried to determine what he wanted to do with his life. When he suggests going into acting, the Miami Vice logo suddenly appears, accompanied by "Crockett's Theme". In the following brief scene, Don Johnson (dressed as Sonny" Crockett, complete with white blazer, pastel T-shirt and "designer stubble") gives typically Crockett-esque policing advice to LeBron, who is wearing one of Rico Tubbs' trademark suits with tie. LeBron's response of, "Should I be writing this down?" is confidently confirmed by Crockett. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Possibly the single greatest homage to the show are the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) and it's prequel Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006), which, aside from the broad-ranging similarities (heavy inclusion of 80's music - including new wave, glam metal and synthesizer pop - dealings with organized crime, drug trafficking, styled cars, prostitution, pastel clothes etc), include several direct references to the show, not least of all the use of the word "Vice" in their titles. Another prominent homage occurs when the player achieves a three-star wanted level or higher; along with traditional police squad cars, the player will find themselves being pursued by an unmarked police-issue Cheetah, a car heavily modelled after the 1986 Ferrari Testarossa, driven by two unnamed, casually dressed undercover cops, one Caucasian and one African-American. Furthermore, the Cheetah they drive is often coloured white, and features the tan leather interior from the car used on show, not found on the games' regular Cheetahs. Another direct link to Miami Vice is the inclusion of "Crockett's Theme" on Vice City's in-game radio station Emotion 98.3. Many other popular songs that were used in Miami Vice are featured on the fictional radio stations as well, including "Missing You" by John Waite, "Turn Up The Radio" by Autograph and "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. Also, the Vice City intro theme was composed very much in the style of Jan Hammer, specifically his "Miami Vice Theme". Aside from music, the games feature an extensive cast of well-known Hollywood actors voicing their characters, akin to the famously large number of guest stars featured in the television show. Most notable of these is Lance Vance, one of the primary characters in both Vice City games, who is voiced by none other than Philip Michael Thomas. Another noteworthy appearance is by Phil Collins, as himself, in Vice City Stories, which even includes him performing a specially recorded rendition of his hit "In The Air Tonight" at an in-game concert during one of the missions. Vice City Stories also features interactions with an undercover law enforcement officer who dresses in a white suit, loafers and a pastel pink t-shirt, mimicking one of Crockett's famous Season 1-2 looks. Many vehicles in the city are also modelled after vehicles from the TV series, including the Squalo (Crockett's first speedboat), the Stinger (Crockett's Daytona), and the Infernus (a Lamborghini Countach, featured heavily in "Golden Triangle (Part II)" and "Bought and Paid For"). Category:Miami Vice